The fantasy football playoffs are reaching the championship round in many leagues.
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Hopefully, this is the week that your teams are in a championship game. Week 16 will be the last week where all 32 NFL teams figure to play all of their starters for four quarters. But once those teams become locked into their spots for the playoffs, they’ll start resting starts in Week 17, making it very difficult for you to pick the right lineup.
One team that figures to be giving it their all this week are the Los Angeles Rams. They’re coming off easily the best defensive performance of Week 15, as they went into Seattle and demolished the Seahawks, 42-7. The Rams forced two turnovers and a safety, racked up seven sacks, and held Seattle to 149 yards of total offense. It was arguably one of the best defensive games by any NFL team this season.
Who will step up big in Week 16? Let us help you figure that out with a new set of rankings for the top 25 defenses and special teams in Week 16.
Defense/Special Teams rankings, Week 16
(SK: Scott Kaliska; JG Jeff Goldberg; DG: Derek Gordon; KB: Kyle Bennett; ZS: Zach Senvisky; JM: Jason Marcum)
D/ST rankings, Week 16
Rk | Consensus | Opp | SK | JG | DG | AW | ZS | JM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore Ravens | vs. IND | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2 | Pittsburgh Steelers | @ HOU | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles | vs. OAK | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | Minnesota Vikings | @ GB | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 4 |
| 5 | Carolina Panthers | vs. TB | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| 6 | Chicago Bears | vs. CLE | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 5 |
| 7 | Jacksonville Jaguars | @ SF | 3 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 12 |
| 8 | Arizona Cardinals | vs. NYG | 11 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 |
| 9 | Kansas City Chiefs | vs. MIA | 7 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 10 |
| 10 | New England Patriots | vs. BUF | 12 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 8 |
| 11 | Los Angeles Chargers | @ NYJ | 2 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 11 |
| 12 | Washington | vs. DEN | 15 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 9 |
| 13 | Detroit Lions | @ CIN | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | Los Angeles Rams | @ TEN | 9 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 14 | 17 |
| 15 | Seattle Seahawks | @ DAL | 17 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 |
| 16 | San Francisco 49ers | vs. JAC | 18 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
| 17 | Denver Broncos | @ WAS | 14 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 18 |
| 18 | New York Jets | vs. LAC | -- | 16 | 16 | 17 | 24 | 16 |
| 19 | Dallas Cowboys | vs. SEA | 19 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 18 | 22 |
| 20 | Atlanta Falcons | @ NO | 24 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 17 | 20 |
| 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | vs. DET | 23 | 19 | 19 | 23 | 20 | 19 |
| 22 | Green Bay Packers | vs. MIN | 20 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 23 |
| 23 | Houston Texans | vs. PIT | -- | 22 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 |
| 24 | New Orleans Saints | vs. ATL | 16 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 24 |
| 25 | Cleveland Browns | @ CHI | 21 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Tennessee Titans | vs. LAR | -- | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| -- | New York Giants | @ ARI | 22 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | Miami Dolphins | @ KC | 25 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
